• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

What does it actually mean to be saved in Christianity?

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Often Christians say they are saved. But what is it?

How are they saved? and i would think it is in the christian bible somewhere, but does it actually letter by letter say, All you have to do is to believe Jesus died on the cross, and that make you saved?? It is this part i can not understand.

As long as you believe you can do anything you want, even sin and be immoral?
Is there no inward change that must happen for a Christian to be saved?
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist
Often Christians say they are saved. But what is it?
In the historic and modern time, this is mostly a Christian dogma which "saves" the priests and their political partners themselves more than their believers.

But no doubt that Mr. Jesus - (if he lived at all?) launched some fine general rules for being as happy as possible = "saved".

Otherwise, this "saveness-business" is also closely connected the "God-Devil dualism" which mostly is used in order to priestly and politically govern the otherwise free and natural spirit.
 

Tzephanyahu

Member
Hi @Conscious thoughts

Great question.

Salvation means saved from the Day of the Lord to come and to be saved from the second death.

As for the gospel, many have turned it into a effectively a magic trick. You say you believe in Jesus and bam, you're saved forever! But this isn't the truth for even unclean spirits believe in Him and that He is the Son of Yahweh, the Creator.

The true gospel is to turn from your ways to Yahweh's ways, as detailed throughout the Torah and expounded upon by the Messiah. Salvation is a gift of grace freely given by the Creator for all those who seek Him in truth and recognise that Yeshua is indeed His Son. However, thereafter we are to walk in His ways. Not to keep salvation but to honour Him in our obedience. We're not to continue sinning or go by modern Christianity's definition of what is and isn't sin - but be led by the Word and Spirit.

I hope that helps.

Peace.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Hi @Conscious thoughts

Great question.

Salvation means saved from the Day of the Lord to come and to be saved from the second death.

As for the gospel, many have turned it into a effectively a magic trick. You say you believe in Jesus and bam, you're saved forever! But this isn't the truth for even unclean spirits believe in Him and that He is the Son of Yahweh, the Creator.

The true gospel is to turn from your ways to Yahweh's ways, as detailed throughout the Torah and expounded upon by the Messiah. Salvation is a gift of grace freely given by the Creator for all those who seek Him in truth and recognise that Yeshua is indeed His Son. However, thereafter we are to walk in His ways. Not to keep salvation but to honour Him in our obedience. We're not to continue sinning or go by modern Christianity's definition of what is and isn't sin - but be led by the Word and Spirit.

I hope that helps.

Peace.
Thank you @Tzephanyahu
Yes your answer helped a lot
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
As for Catholics, we do not say that we have been saved. Rather, we say that are being saved. As Paul has it, Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Unlike other Christian religions, if you ask a Catholic if she is saved she lives in the hope of salvation.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
As for Catholics, we do not say that we have been saved. Rather, we say that are being saved. As Paul has it, Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Unlike other Christian religions, if you ask a Catholic if she is saved she lives in the hope of salvation.
This is also a very good anwer :) Thank you :)
 
Last edited:

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
One verse that is often sited in this regard is:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

There are many, many other verses, though. The one above was often the one that was most easily digested. John was definitely my favorite gospel because of this.

Some other verses on the subject I can think of:

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
One verse that is often sited in this regard is:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

There are many, many other verses, though. The one above was often the one that was most easily digested. John was definitely my favorite gospel because of this.

Some other verses on the subject I can think of:

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thank you :) the verses do give a good explenation
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Often Christians say they are saved. But what is it?

How are they saved? and i would think it is in the christian bible somewhere, but does it actually letter by letter say, All you have to do is to believe Jesus died on the cross, and that make you saved?? It is this part i can not understand.

As long as you believe you can do anything you want, even sin and be immoral?
Is there no inward change that must happen for a Christian to be saved?
There isn't one single answer.

This is something where there are a range of viewpoints within Christianity. It's one of the main points of disagreement between Catholics and Protestants.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Often Christians say they are saved. But what is it?

How are they saved? and i would think it is in the christian bible somewhere, but does it actually letter by letter say, All you have to do is to believe Jesus died on the cross, and that make you saved?? It is this part i can not understand.

As long as you believe you can do anything you want, even sin and be immoral?
Is there no inward change that must happen for a Christian to be saved?

I'll give my experiences as a former catholic. Just from my observation and/or experience.

1. I notice a lot of people have personal experiences or spiritual awakening when they come to christ.

i.e. they come to a point in their life that they nearly want to give up and they to get rid of that pain or sin they may be experiences and doing. A lot of people say "they can't do it on their own" (I hear off and online) and can't depend on people around them so a lot of times they develop a spiritual need to reconcile themselves by believing (having conviction) in what god tells them and what they do for god.

2. Once they find that conviction (belief or have faith), there's a lot of learning and application involved. That's life long.

3. Then I think they have another spiritual experience, that "clicks," and they experience spiritual awakening.

4. When they Know that christ died for them (as said in scriptures) and their experiences relate to that i.e. someone helping them and what they learned, they are "saved" from their sins.

Saved, in my opinion, is more of an metaphor that means one's conviction and actions leads them to a relationship with god through/as christ and thereby relieved of the consequence of sin.

Once one has that conviction for awhile, their faith in the thereafter lets them know they won't die but be with god forever. They are saved from death.

There is a profound inward change. One RFian here said that he saved his whole family by telling them about christ (of course among other things).

I think unlike many other faiths, the salvation is in conviction and the conviction leads to action.

Whereas maybe others say it's the actions and experience of them that leads to conviction.

Hope that helps.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I'll give my experiences as a former catholic. Just from my observation and/or experience.

1. I notice a lot of people have personal experiences or spiritual awakening when they come to christ.

i.e. they come to a point in their life that they nearly want to give up and they to get rid of that pain or sin they may be experiences and doing. A lot of people say "they can't do it on their own" (I hear off and online) and can't depend on people around them so a lot of times they develop a spiritual need to reconcile themselves by believing (having conviction) in what god tells them and what they do for god.

2. Once they find that conviction (belief or have faith), there's a lot of learning and application involved. That's life long.

3. Then I think they have another spiritual experience, that "clicks," and they experience spiritual awakening.

4. When they Know that christ died for them (as said in scriptures) and their experiences relate to that i.e. someone helping them and what they learned, they are "saved" from their sins.

Saved, in my opinion, is more of an metaphor that means one's conviction and actions leads them to a relationship with god through/as christ and thereby relieved of the consequence of sin.

Once one has that conviction for awhile, their faith in the thereafter lets them know they won't die but be with god forever. They are saved from death.

There is a profound inward change. One RFian here said that he saved his whole family by telling them about christ (of course among other things).

I think unlike many other faiths, the salvation is in conviction and the conviction leads to action.

Whereas maybe others say it's the actions and experience of them that leads to conviction.

Hope that helps.
Thank you @Unveiled Artist yes it did help :)
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
As for Catholics, we do not say that we have been saved. Rather, we say that are being saved. As Paul has it, Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Unlike other Christian religions, if you ask a Catholic if she is saved she lives in the hope of salvation.

I learned something new. I never have heard a catholic say they are saved, but I always thought the sacraments saved them and they are living their salvation rather than hoping for it.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Often Christians say they are saved. But what is it?
The Church teaching is that Christians are saved by the cross sacrifice of Jesus from the original sin of Adam and Eve, and without the cross sacrifice they would still be in their sins that were inherited from Adam and Eve..

According to Baha'i beliefs, Jesus besought the one true God the honor of sacrificing himself as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth. Notably, Jesus never said anything about an original sin committed by Adam and Eve as the reason for his sacrifice.
 
Top